Electric switch.



S. H. MCELB0Y1 EXECUTRIX- ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION mm AUG. 11. 1911.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

v bany,county'of lbany, State of New Yorln,

- S SIP JAMES F. McELROY, 0F "ALBANY;

NEW YORK;

SUSIE H. McELROY, Exnourmkor'sarn JAMES r.' 1vicEI;RoY, "DECEASED, ASSIGNOR 'ro CONSOLIDATED CAR-HEATING com-'9 PANY AooRPoRATIoN OF'WEST'VIBGINIA.-

ELECTRIC swrroH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I i Application filed August 11 1911. vserial 2 T0. 643,576.

T 0 all within, it Mayra 910mm Beit known that '1, JAMES F. MCELROY, a citizen of the United States, residing at A1- haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, the following being a 'fulhiclear; and exact disclosure of the one; fornrof my invention whichI at present deem fireferable.

For a detailed description of the present form of my inventiom'referenc may be had to they followingspecification and to the accompanying drawing; which illustrates my invent1on.-

Figure 1' is a top plan view of the switch, the casing being in section; Fig. 2 1s a front elex ation thereof,; the casing being in sect1on v and iilisa side elev'ation thereof with the casing being, in sectionlFigs. 4 and 5 are detail yiews illustrating a switch handie, and the switch base/respectively.

invention v relates to a an electric switch of thetype in which the switch is normally centralized by a spring and designed. to be temporarily operated against the force of the said-*spring,-and it consists in certaindetails of construction to, be hereinafter described, including an arrangement whereby a single spring serves both to centralize'the switch arm and lock it in its central posi- "Itionr zMoreorery- I have constructed my switch with reference to its placement in a partition, the casing being constructed with reference to'suclrlocation and divided gen-v erally speaking into two compartments, one containing the switch'proper and the other servi'ngas a junction boX, one compartment also being in front of and the other in rear of the partition in which the instrument is placed; The rear co1npartment,- which also serves as a junction box, is provided with a removable cover and with an opening for admitting the linewires to the junction box. In the accompanying drawing F represents the casing, which isprovided, midway of its depth, with flanges f by which it may be secul'ed to aipartition E. The front portion of this casingcont'ains the switch arm and,.contacts, \yhilethe rear portion projects through'the partition and forms a unction bo xac cess ible' from the rear and provided with a removable cover The front portion of the casing open on" its lowerside to provide for the operation of the switch arm the external handle A, while the rearportion forming the unction box also has onlts lower edge an opening for the Patented Nov. 16; 1915.

conduit G containing the line wires. This I opening is formed for convenience in the cover portion F1, 1

lnside of the casing and midway of its depth is an insulating base D which forms two compartments therein and also supports on 1ts front side the switch proper. The stationary part of the switch proper is-formed by a casting which has a flat.

base Q-resting upon' and secured to the, aforesaid insulating base D, andprojecting Through the lugs Z) 6 passes a pin K, one

end of which projects outward beyond the lug into a slot formed between the two projections c c on the ring shaped part C.

'The opposite end of pin K projects inward beyond the perforated lug Z2 intoan opening in the flat base portion C of the stationary casting. This provides a stop against rotation of the switch arm on its longitudinal axis. B bears on its under flat face against the upper fiat face. of the aforesaid projection G which forms a seat therefor and is held in that position by the spring S which is secured at one end to the disk B, being, forexample, bentaround the aforesaid pin K, and at its other end is anchored to a stud 0 on the base 0 of the stationary casting. the stationary and 'D'IOVEIblB castings will beassembled in the position shown by passing the handle A of the, switch, arm A 'down'throughthe vopening c in the'ring- K and at its other end to the studc as,

just mentioned. The movable part is there.-

The aforesaid disk Assuming the casing'to be'removed tionary part, but the two parts are drawn together and secured in their working re lation by the spring S, and the switch arm A can still be moved to either side of its central position in an are about one edge of the disk B. as a center. The spring S will then exert its eccentric tension on the switch arm, thereby tending to centralize it by bringing the flat face of the disk B into engagement with the upper flat face of the ring-shaped projection C. The switch arm A is thus movable laterally away from and into its central position, but it also is capable of a similar outward movement away from, or an inward movement toward the base plate "C of the stationary casting, while the spring S similarly resists such outward movement of the fest that, if

to the switch arm. The purpose of the latter movement is to enable the spring to not only centralize the switch arm with respect to its/lateral movements, but also to lock it in its central position by causing a projecting lug A on the under side of switch arm A near the handle, to fall into a notch a formed for its reception in the aforesaid base plate C of the stationary casting. Thus, referring particularly to Fig. 3, it will be mani the handle A is moved outward or to the left to disengage the proj ection A from the notch a, the switch arm will tend to rotate about the right hand edge of the disk B as a center and such movement will be resisted by the spring S. Consequently, in order to operate the switch it is necessary to first move the handle A outward against the force of the spring S, to disengage the lock, and then move it laterally to one side or the other, also against the force of the spring S, to close the contacts on one side or the other. Conversely, when the handle is released the spring S will first act to centralize the switch arm and then when the projection A comes into line with the notch a, it will furthermore act to 'force the said projec= tion into the notch and lock the arm in its central position. This construction affords a simple, cheap and rugged switch and one that is also reliable in operation for the special purpose that it is designed to'serve. In particular the switch is used on rail ay cars for the control of door-operating machinery. For that purposeit is placed at the end of a car, in the wall or partition E formed by the end wall of the vehicle, so as to be convenient for the trainman who stands on the outside platform. At the same time the rear portion of the switchcasing projects through the wall or partition E and is conveniently accessible from the rear, for the purpose of receiving the wire-conduit G and connecting the wires by means of the binding screws on the back of the insulating base or partition D within the casing- What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-is:

1. In an electric switch, a base and a switch arm each provided with complemental members cooperating to lock the switch arm in a central position, and a spring acting to move the arm to said central position and also to maintain an engagement of said complemental members.

2. In an electric switch, a switch-arm, a lug and a notch carried by the base and the arm respectively for holding the arm in its cen tral position relative to the base, and a spring acting to both centralize the arm and hold it into locking engagement with the base.

3. In an electric switch, a base, a switch-- arm movable in two angular directions relative to the base, and a double-acting spring operating to retain the arm in a central position relative to the base by moving said arm in one direction and to a locked position by moving it in a second direction at an angle to the centralizing movement. 7

i. In an electric switch, a stationary part, a movable part loosely seated thereon having a movement in an arc with respect to the stationary one, and a spring holding -the two parts in engagement. 7

5. In an electric switch, a stationary part, a movable part seated thereon and having a movement in an arc with respect to the stationary one, saidstationary and said movable parts having complemental locking means, and a spring for holding thetwo parts in both working and locking engagement with each other.

6. In an electric switch, a switch-arm having a transverse bearing plate, a seat for said plate, and a spring tending to hold the plate to its seat.

T. In an electric switch, a switch-arm having a transverse bearing disk, a seat for said disk, a spring pressing the disk against its seat,"and a stop for preventing axial rotation of the arm.

8. In an electric switch. a stationary part provided with a base. and a seat projecting therefrom, a switch-arm having a disk hearing, and a spring acting upon said disk to force it to said seat. i

9. In an electric switch, a switch arm provided with a transverse extension and a seat therefor and movable in two angular directions on the edges of the said transverse extension as centers, and a spring acting to force the said transverse extension to its seat.

10. An electric switch con'iprising a base having an angularly projecting seat, a

switch arm having a bearing disk loose on the seat. said base being provided with a notch and the arm being providedwith a lug, and a spring connection between, the

- eral movement relative'to the base, cooperat-.

provided with a seat, a switch arm having a bearing that loosely engages the seat to permit the arm to have an outwardand lating'locking members carried by the base and arm, and a spring connection opposing movement of the arm relative to the base and normally causing an engagement of the locking members of the arm and base.

' 12. An electric switch. comprising a base to cause the lug to engage the having a fiat open seatprojecting therefrom,

a switch arm projecting through the seat and having a bearing disk loose on the seat,

cooperating locking memberscarried by the arm an ihase, and a spring normally holding the diskrto the seat and the locking members engaged.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, before two subscribing Witnesses, this 9th day of August, 1911.

' JAMESVF. MOELROY.

Witnessses-;,

HERBERT A. CALKINS, v CLARENCE PALMER. 

